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REVIEW: Gabe by Anna Hackett

My Review

Gabe by Anna HackettHell Squad #3Science Fiction Romance

As the human survivors at Blue Mountain Base continue to fight back against the alien invaders, doctor Emerson Green is there to put them back together. Now that they know the Gizzida aliens are capturing humans and experimenting on them, they’re determined to find where the humans are being kept. Hell Squad member Gabe Jackson has been on a spiral ever since his twin brother was killed by the aliens and he’s been taking bigger and bigger risks while out in the field. Emerson wants to help Gabe but what can she do when he’s constantly pushing her away?

Gabe is a great addition to the series and it keeps the action, suspense, and romance going. I love that this series takes place almost a year after the invasion; this means that the characters have already settled into accepting a new way of life and are now ardently fighting back. This was a fast paced read and Gabe and Emerson have a fiery chemistry that kept me quickly turning the pages.

Emerson is one tough heroine and her dedication to helping others has been her whole life. She puts her heart and soul into caring for others and she desperately wants to help Gabe find peace and closure. Even after being kidnapped and beaten up by aliens in the last book, Emerson refuses to let it get in the way of doing her job and she continues to go out with Hell Squad and help with survivors. Emerson’s feelings for Gabe have always been there but when he starts visiting her in the dark of night she finds an unexpected connection, if only Gabe would open up about losing his brother.

Gabe is the strong, silent type and he’s not used to expressing his emotions. He’s still dealing with guilt and grief over his twin brother’s death and though Emerson provides the only peace he knows he doesn’t know how to tell her that. While he struggles with words, he finds a way to show his feelings by leaving little gifts for Emerson and I loved this tender side to his character. I would have liked more about Gabe’s history in the experimental military program which is hinted at but not fully developed. Gabe himself doesn’t completely know all of what was done to him so I understand the lack of backstory but I was really hoping for more because I think it’s a fascinating idea.

I also liked the brief look at a new squad, the Berserkers — I think their name speaks for itself and I’m certainly intrigued and hope we’ll get some books about them.

4 out of 5 stars

Book Details

Hell Squad soldier Gabe Jackson has lost everything that mattered, including his twin brother. Now he just wants to kill the invading aliens anyway he knows how…and he knows a lot of ways. Previously part of a secret Army super-soldier project, he’s faster, stronger, deadlier…but on the inside, he’s a mass of rage, and pain, and grief—all waiting for a chance to drag him under. Until he finds her.

Dr. Emerson Green had her life planned: thrive in the high-stress environment of the ER, build her career, have a great life. Then the raptor alien invasion happened. Now she’s the head of the medical team for the secret base sheltering human survivors outside of Sydney. She’s also in charge of patching up the soldiers who get too close to raptor claws. She’d never planned for this…and she’d never planned for sexy, brooding Gabe Jackson.

As Emerson uncovers clues to the aliens’ secret plans for the human race, she and Gabe collide in a storm of volatile passion. But the brooding soldier is as stubborn as he is silent, and Emerson knows she must convince him to reach out to her…because Gabe is a ticking time bomb about to go off.